EXCLUSIVE: 'It could happen to you': Warning by family of bride killed by poison gas

LIKE many people, Katie Haines was looking forward to a nice, relaxing soak in the bath after a hard day at work.

Katie Haines was killed by carbon monoxide just months after returning from her honeymoon [GARETH DAVIES]

Life was good for the 31-year-old – she had just returned from a lovely honeymoon with husband Richard and they were looking forward to having children.

But all that changed in an instant.

The former Daily Express journalist was overcome by a cloud of poisonous gas in her bathroom and instead of planning for a future, her family found themselves planning a funeral.

Today her family are calling for detectors for the deadly carbon monoxide gas – which cost as little as £12 – to be made compulsory in a bid to stop up to 50 lives being claimed each year in the UK by the silent killer.

Katie and Richard had recently returned from their dream trip to South America when her life was tragically cut short in February 2010.

She had run a bath at her cottage in Wokingham, Berkshire, but when she got out, she was knocked out by carbon monoxide from a faulty boiler in the adjoining kitchen.

When her husband returned home with food for their supper, he found his new bride dead.

For the last four years, her family have tirelessly campaigned to warn the public about carbon monoxide poisoning, which if it doesn't kill can still leave victims with brain damage.

In a tragic twist, the Haines had bought a carbon monoxide alarm but the couple were so busy settling into married life, it remained unopened in its wrapper.

While smoke detectors are now common place in most homes, CO detectors are only present in about 15 per cent of British homes. They are compulsory in homes in Northern Ireland and Scotland where there are carbon-burning appliances but not England and Wales – something Katie's mother and father are demanding the Government change.

Katie with father Gordon on her wedding day [GARETH DAVIES]

I know if circumstances had been different and something had happened to us, Katie would have been out there fighting

Avril Samuel

Katie's mother, Avril Samuel, said: "People think they are doing everything they can to keep their family safe but they don't do anything about carbon monoxide. You see adverts on TV about smoke alarms and level crossings but nothing about carbon dioxide.

She added: "People think that CO poisoning only happens outside this country or in poor housing or things like that. But it could happen to anybody. People just have no idea. It doesn't cost much to save a life."

In the wake of Katie's death, her family set up the Katie Haines Memorial Trust, which has set up a petition to lobby the Government to make CO alarms compulsory across the UK, in a similar way to smoke alarms.

They need 100,000 signatures for the subject to be debated in Parliament.

Mrs Samuel said: "The dynamic of the family has changed for everybody.

"We went on a boat trip recently with some friends and the question always comes up 'how many children have you got?'

"We can't say two, we have to say we have three children. But then we have to explain what happened.

"We felt that the charity was something that we had to do.

"But it's just exhausting because you're telling everybody again and again what happened to your daughter. It's very difficult to do. Your grief is almost public. But we just didn't want to sit there and forget about it."

According to the Department of Health around 50 people die and over 4,000 people are diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK each year. However experts think that could be just the tip of the iceberg.

You cannot see, taste or smell CO, and symptoms like headaches, nausea and dizziness can easily be confused with flu.

CO gas can seep through house walls, so even if you don't have a carbon-burning appliance an alarm could still save your life if your neighbour has a problem.

A study by University College London found that a fifth of all homes in the UK had at least one gas appliance rated as At Risk or Immediately Dangerous, leaving them open to the possibility of producing carbon monoxide.

Mrs Samuel continued: "We are very concerned that there is legislation in Northern Ireland and Scotland for carbon monoxide alarms to be mandatory where carbon-burning appliances are installed but not in England and Wales.

"Two young men died in Northern Ireland the same year as Katie and legislation both on council and government level has been pushed through quickly.

"We feel that we should have the same duty of care in England and Wales."

The family's campaign has been backed by leading industry organisations like Plumb Center and Honeywell, as well as MPs and patrons including Sir Michael Parkinson and wildlife presenter Steve Backshall.

The former Daily Express journalist with her parents [NC]

Although she admitted that sometimes it feels like "change isn't coming quick enough ", Mrs Samuel said that the campaign is a worthwhile focus.

She said: "In a way it's a way for us to cope as well. It's satisfying when people contact us and say 'thank you, our alarm went off'.

"We know that somebody has been made aware of it and hopefully they will tell somebody else 'it was good, our alarm went off because could have died'. That's how it spreads.

"I know if circumstances had been different and something had happened to us, Katie would have been out there fighting.

"I know she would be proud that we're doing it for her. Losing Katie was such a terrible thing at the happiest time of her life and we don't want anybody else to go through what we have been through."

A spokesman from the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "Under current rules carbon monoxide alarms are already required as part of building regulations where solid fuel appliances are installed, as this is where the greatest risk of poisoning arises.

"We are however consulting on whether further changes should be made requiring them in more types of accommodation.”

For more information about the Katie Haines Memorial Trust click here. To sign the petition click here.